A Nashville judge on Thursday night refused to grant permission for the publication of writings left behind by the killer who killed six people at a Christian school in the city last year, deferring to the wishes of the families of the surviving children.
The question of whether to make public the diaries and other documents left behind by the attacker in March 2023 is the subject of an emotional legal dispute, and the ruling is likely to be appealed.
On the one hand, grieving parents, most of the families of the surviving students, the school and the affiliated church warned that making the writings freely available would further traumatize their community and risk attracting imitators.
However, journalists, gun rights groups and a Republican lawmaker argued that the open records law requires them to be made public, especially as the Tennessee General Assembly remains divided over how to respond to the shooting.
“School shootings and violence have unfortunately become commonplace in our society,” said the judge, Chancellor I am Ashea L. Myles of the Chancery Court in Davidson County, Tenn., said in her ruling. “Access to immediate information has also become a societal expectation that we all share.”
“However, there are situations where this direct access and demand for information must be balanced and moderated to ensure the integrity of our justice system, particularly the criminal justice system,” she said.
The judge ruled that a police report on the shooting could be released, except for details about the school’s security.
Police have not identified a clear motive for the shooting, although they have said the attacker, a 28-year-old former student of the school, was being treated for an emotional disorder and “had contemplated the actions of other mass murderers.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
